Devices for use in connection with the sharpening of chisels, plane irons and like tools



' Sept. 8, 1959 JJJ. CALLAGHAN EVICES FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THESHARPENING OF CHISELS, PLANE IRONS AND LIKE TOOLS Filed April 23, 1958IN VENTOR '14 JOHN J. CALLAGHAN United States Patent DEVICES FOR USE INCONNECTIQN WITH THE SHARPENING 0F CHISELS, PLANE IRONS AND LIKE TOOLSJohn James Callaghan, Preston, Victoria, Australia Application April 23,1958, Serial No. 730,489

Claims. (Cl. 51-420) This invention relates to devices for use inconnection with the sharpening of chisels, plane irons and like toolsand particularly concerns those devices which include means whereby thecutting angle at which the tools are to be sharpened may be varied inaccordance with requirements.

Known devices for the purpose indicated have certain disadvantages inthat they usually tend to wear the sharpening stone unevenly.Furthermore, if the blade to be sharpened is wider than the stone,correct sharpening can only be carried out with difliculty.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improveddevice of the kind indicated which not only permits the sharpening ofsuch tools to be carried out effectively in a most simple manner byunskilled persons, but in addition is capable of accommodating a widerange of sizes of chisels, plane irons and the like irrespective ofwhether any of them are wider than the stone.

Another important advantage is that during the sharpening operation thetool being sharpened is not subjected to different pressures dependingupon the strength of the user but is subjected throughout the operationto substantially constant pressure which is relatively light butsufiicient for sharpening purposes. Consequently excessive wearing ofthe tool and the sharpening stone is avoided.

The improved device is of relatively simple design and constructionhaving few working parts which are likely to get out of order or requireadjustment.

Other objects and novel constructional features of the invention will bemore readily apparent from the following more detailed description.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the parts seen in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an inverted plan View of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line IVIV of Figure 2..

In accordance with the present invention the improved device includes asupporting element 2 which may consist of a normally upright plate orbracket adapted at its lower end for mounting in a vice or forconnection to a bench for example, in any other suitable manner.

At an intermediate point in its height the supporting element isprovided near one side thereof with a laterally projecting shelf 3carrying an adjustable guide member 4 for a sharpening stone holder 6.The adjustable guide member may have a fiat 'base 4a with opposedsubstantially parallel channels 4b at or near its opposite side edges asseen more clearly in Figure 4.

The adjustable guide member is preferably turnable about a normallyvertical axis and for this purpose the laterally projecting shelf 3 mayhave a hole'therethrough to pass a spindle or bolt 7 connected at itsupper end to the adjustable guide member. The bolt is fitted with a2,902,801 Patented Sept. 8, 1959 clamping nut 7a or any other suitablemeans for retaining the adjustable guide member 4 in the desiredoperative position.

The aforesaid stone holder 6 preferably consists of a tray havingupstanding side and end walls so as to snugly accommodate a conventionalsized sharpening stone 3 on the tray. The tray is also fitted with ahandle 9 so that it may be reciprocated in the adjustable guide memberwhilst in addition coaligned limit stops (not shown) may be provided onthe tray andthe guide member so as normally to prevent the tray beinginadvertently displaced from its guideway.

Associated with the foregoing are adjustable supporting means for thetool to be sharpened. Such means are mounted on the upper part 2:: ofthe plate-like supporting element which is of reduced width and upstandsabove the laterally projecting shelf 3 at the side thereof.

Mounted on this upstanding section of the supporting element is a slider11 carrying a transverse clamping bolt 12 or other pivotal connectionfor a laterally projecting guideway 13. This slider is preferably springinfluenced,- for example, by means of a coiled tension spring 14connected at one end to the slider and at its opposite end to thesupporting element.

The laterally projecting guideway is normally inclined transversely inrelation to the adjustable guide member 4 for the stone holder and maybe connected to the clamping bolt 12 on the slider by an apertured lug16 at the inner end of the guideway.

The latter is fitted with a longitudinally slidable tool carrier 17which is preferably provided at one end with a flange or one or morelocating stops 18 adapted to be engaged by the side edge of a tool 19 tobe sharpened so as to ensure that the cutting edge thereof issubstantially parallel with the plane of the upper surface of thesharpening stone. 1

The tool carrier 17 is also provided with means for detachablyconnecting a chisel or plane iron thereto. Such connecting means mayconsist of an upstanding bolt 21 fitted for example with a wing nut 22and preferably with an angular clamping plate 23 adapted to fit over achisel. This clamping plate is not required when a plane iron is beingsharpened in that the upstanding bolt may be readily passed through theusual longitudinal slot in the plane iron. The tool carrier is alsopreferably provided with a longitudinal slot 24 so that the clampingbolt may be moved lengthwise thereof in accordance with requirements.

In use, the guideway 13 for the tool carrier is set to the appropriateangle and then locked in this position by its bolt. The tool to besharpened is then clamped in position on the tool carrier 17 after theslider 11 has been raised sufficiently to tension the spring whilst thecutting edge of the tool is resting on the sharpening stone.Longitudinal movement of the stone as aforesaid sharpens the tool at therequired angle. 7

Another important feature of the invention is that by turning theadjustable guide member 4 for the stone holder the cutting edge of thetool to be sharpened extends crosswise of the sharpening stone 8 at anangle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the stone instead of atsubstantially right angles thereto as is usually the case with existingtypes of tool holders. Many tradesmen consider that by holding the toolin such a position a better sharpening action is obtained.

It will also be apparent that if the width of the tool being sharpenedis slightly greater than the width of the stone, this problem may be metby turning the adjustable guide member 4 for the stone holder until thestone accommodates the full width of the cutting edge of the tool. Itwill also be apparent that the spring 14 maintains a minimum constantdownward pressure of the tool onto the stone whilst uneven wearing ofthe latter is avoided by moving the tool carrier 17 lengthwise in itsguideway 13 so as to position relatively narrow cutting edges on variouspartsof the stone surface whilst the latter is being reciprocated.

If desired, provision may be made for indicating the working angle ofthe tool carrier in relation to the sharpening stone. For this purposethe aforesaid apertured lug on the inner end of the laterally projectingguideway may be provided with a pointer registering with the arcuatescale on the slider as seen more clearly in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It is also to be understood that various alterations, modificationsand/or additions may be introduced into the foregoing construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the ambit of the inventionas defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improved device for use in connection with the sharpening ofchisels, plane irons and like tools including a normally uprightsupporting element provided at one side with a laterally projectingstationary shelf carrying an adjustable guide member for a reciprocatorysharpening stone holder, said adjustable guide member being turnableabout a normally vertical axis and being provided with clamping meansfor retaining the adjustable guide member in the desired operativeposition on its shelf, adjustable supporting means for the tools to besharpened which are also mounted upon said supporting element above theadjustable guide member and movable towards and away from saidadjustable guide member, said supporting means incorporating a guidewayprojecting laterally in relation to the supporting element and which isnormally inclined in relation to the adjustable guide member, saidlaterally projecting guideway being fitted with a tool carrier which ismovable lengthwise of its guideway and fitted with clamping means fordetachably connecting the tool to be sharpened thereto, and means forretaining said laterally projecting guideway in the desired angularrelationship with respect to said sharpening stone holder so that thecutting edge of the tool to be sharpened may engage a sharpening stonein said holder.

2. An improved device for use in connection with the sharpening ofchisels, plane irons and like tools, comprising a normally uprightsupporting element, an adjustable guide member for a reciprocatorysharpening stone holder on said supporting element, adjustablesupporting means for the toolsto be sharpened also mounted upon saidsupporting element above the adjustable guide member, said supportingmeans including a guideway projecting laterally in relation to thesupporting element and which is normally inclined in relation to saidadjustable guide member, a tool carrier mounted on the laterallyprojecting guideway, means on the tool carrier for detachably connectingthe tool to be sharpened thereto so that its cutting edge may engage asharpening stone in said holder, said supporting element including anormally upright plate, a laterally projecting shelf on said plate, saidlaterally projecting shelf carrying said adjustable guide member, anormally upright spindle connecting the adjustable guide member to theshelf, a clamping nut on said spindle, a base on said adjustable guidemember, opposed substantially parallel channels attached thereto, a trayslidably accommodated on said base forming a sharpening stone holder,and a handle on said tray so that it may be reciprocated.

3. An improved device for use in connection with the sharpening ofchisels, plane irons and like tools, comprising a'normally uprightsupporting element, an adjustable guide member for a reciprocatorysharpening stone holder on said supporting element, adjustablesupporting means for the tools to be sharpened also mounted upon saidsupporting element above the adjustable guide member, said supportingmeans including a guideway projecting laterally in relation to thesupporting element and which is normally inclined in relation to saidadjustable guide member, a tool carrier mounted on the laterallyprojecting guideway, means on the tool carrier for detachably connectingthe tool to be sharpened thereto so that its cutting edge may engage asharpening stone in said holder, said adjustable supporting means beingmounted upon the upper part of said supporting element, a slider formingpart of said adjustable supporting means, means on said slider pivotallyconnecting said laterally projecting guideway thereto, spring means onsaid slider to normally urge it towards the sharpening stone holder, andmeans for indicating the angle at which said tool carrier is operativelypositioned in relation to said slider.

4. An improved device for use in connection with the sharpening ofchisels, plane irons and like tools, comprising a normally uprightsupporting element, an adjustable guide member for a reciprocatorysharpening stone holder on said supporting element, adjustablesupporting means for the tools to be sharpened also mounted upon saidsupporting element above the adjustable guide member,

a said supporting means including a guideway projecting laterally inrelation to the supporting element and which is normally inclined inrelation to said adjustable guide member, a tool carrier mounted on thelaterally projecting guideway, means on the tool carrier for detachablyconnecting the tool to be' sharpened thereto so that its cutting edgemay engage a sharpening stone in said holder, stop means on said toolcarrier for engaging one of the side edges of the tool to be sharpened,an up standing bolt fitted with a nut for detachably connecting the toolto the tool carrier, a slot formed in said tool carrier, said upstandingbolt being slidable lengthwise in said slot, a clamping plate adapted tofit over a tool to be sharpened and held in place by said bolt.

5. A device for use in connection with the sharpening of chisels, planeirons and the like comprising a supporting element including a normallyupright plate, a laterally projecting stationary shelf on said plate, asharpening stone holder, an'adjustable guide member for the sharpeningstone holder carried by said shelf, a base on said guide member havingopposed substantially parallel channels attached thereto, an uprightspindle passing through the laterally projecting shelf and fitted with aclamping nut about which said guide member is turnable, said stoneholder including a tray, a handle on said tray so that it may bereciprocated lengthwise in the guide member, the upper part of saidsupporting element being of reduced width and upstanding above saidshelf, ad-' justable supporting means for the tool to be sharpened onthe upper part of said supporting element, said adjustable supportingmeans including a slider, a pivotal connection on said slider, alaterally projecting guideway References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mudleir Augr7, 1945 Miller et a1 DEC. 11,1951

